MEETINGREECE
8
GREECE
S
trategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia,
the Middle East and Africa, has land borders Albania,
F.Y.R.O.M. and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to
the northeast. Surrounded by the sea. The
Mediterranean Sea lies to the south, the Aegean to the
east and the Ionian to the west. With mountains
covering about 70% of its territory Greece is a mountainous
country with the mythical Mount Olympus the highest at
2.917
m. The country covers an area of 131.957 km² and has
the 11th longest coastline in the world (1st in Europe) at
13.676
km.
More than 2.000 islands, of which about 300 are inhabited,
belong to the Greek state, including Crete, Evia, Lesvos, Chios,
Limnos, Samos and the complexes of Dodecanese and
Cyclades in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian islands in the Ionian
Sea, among others.
Greece has mild climate with average temperatures fluctuating
between 2°-14°C in the winter and 18°- 34°C in the summer. It
is noted for its exceptional biodiversity, with plenty of mountains,
rivers, lakes, wetlands, islands, even volcanoes, all within its
borders. The longest river is Aliakmonas, with 297 km length,
and the largest lake is Trichonida with a surface of 97 km².
According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around
11
million. There is also a significant number of Greeks abroad
the country (about 5 million), with the largest communities in
Australia, Canada and USA, as well as in Germany, United
Kingdom, South Africa and former Soviet Union countries,
amongst others.
Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, and its urban area
includes Piraeus. The second largest city is Thessaloniki, the
capital of Macedonia region and the third is Patras, the major
port to the west.
Greece generally considered the cradle of Western civilization,
and the birthplace of Democracy, Western philosophy, Western
drama (tragedy & comedy), Western literature and
historiography, political science, major scientific and
mathematical principles, the Olympic Games, among others.
This legacy is partly reflected in the 17 UNESCO World Heritage
Sites located in the country, ranking Greece 7th in Europe and
13
th in the world.
The Modern Greek state was established in 1830, following the
Greek War of Independence. Greece is a founding member of
the United Nations, and it has been a member of NATO since
1952
and the European Union since 1981 (and the Euro zone
since 2001). Today’s visitors to Greece have the opportunity to
trace the fingerprints of Greek history from the Palaeolithic Era
to the Roman Period in the hundreds of archaeological sites, as
well as in the archaeological museums and collections that are
scattered throughout the country. Greece attracts more than 16
million tourists each year, contributing 15,2% (2009 data) to the
nation’s Gross Domestic Product. Greece has been an
attraction for international visitors since antiquity for its rich and
Congresses and symposiums were frequently
practiced in ancient Greece, organized by
wealthy patrons of the arts and sciences.
Philosophers, artists and scientists would gather
to discuss their theories and viewpoints on many
issues. The discussions took a dialectic form and
were accompanied by food, wine and music. Some
discussions carried out during symposiums were
written down and are now considered
masterpieces of world literature. A very well
known example is Plato’s “Symposium”.
Kalimera (good morning),
literally,
Have a nice day!
